Mackie MDR 24/96 Technical Reference - Hardware Overview
HD24/96 Technical Reference
8
Hardware Overview
The HDR24/96 has two user interfaces. The front panel controls are designed so that you can
operate it just like any other multitrack recorder. Other than the naming of projects to assist
you with session record keeping, if you’re familiar with multitrack recorders, there are very few
unfamiliar operations. Using only the front panel controls, you can perform all of the normal
recording, playback, backup, and file management operations. There’s more to the HDR24/96
than straightforward recording, however.
Adding a standard computer keyboard and monitor brings the power of a Graphical User
Interface (GUI) to the HDR24/96. This is where you’ll find the editing tools as well as
convenience features such as named locate points for quickly jumping around within your
project.
Optional remote controllers bring the front panel controls closer to your console workspace and
add a few more features. In addition, the HDR24/96 responds to MIDI Machine Control (MMC),
so you can perform many operations from another user interface such as a sequencer or
mixing console that sends MMC commands.
Front Panel User Interface Conventions
Most of the buttons on the front panel need no explanation (don’t worry, we’ll explain them
anyway). The display (LCD) and the buttons immediately below it control the computer
that’s at the heart of the HDR24/96. Once you understand the functions, you’ll find them to
be intuitive.
Originally we plopped all of the controls onto the HDR front panel and found that after a
while, it was entirely filled with buttons. So we decided to lose a few along the way, and hide
the ones that were used less frequently (as often as you visited Aunt Sadie) somewhere
under an LCD menu. To make up for missing buttons and the need for a road map, we
stuck in a few Go Here and Go There buttons and here's what we came up with:
System Control Buttons
Most of the group of buttons immediately above the transport (“tape deck”) controls
open menus in the LCD. These are the entry points to the LCD menus and are called
System Control buttons.
Page Left and Page Right Buttons
The large < and > buttons are page navigators. If a menu consists of more than one
page, the top line on the 24 character by 4 line LCD readout will display a
← or → in the
upper left or upper right corner to indicate the direction in which you may page to find
more choices within that menu.
Select Buttons
The four SELECT buttons under the LCD are aligned under text describing the choices
available within that menu. Examples include Exit, confirmation (OK), increment or
decrement a number, scroll through choices, or advance through operational tier buttons
("follow the signs, you won't get lost"). Select buttons soft buttons whose function
changes depending on the operation you’re performing.